Modular driving apparatus

ABSTRACT

Proposed is a modular driving apparatus which is driven in combination with at least one ride module or is driven independently by being combined with or separated from the ride module. The modular driving apparatus includes: a main body including a coupling space in which the ride module is mounted, and wheel modules which surrounds both sides of the ride module mounted in the coupling space and operates to run together with the mounted ride module or operates to run autonomously; and coupling guide blades which are respectively fastened to both sides of the main body and respectively include wheel module coupling holes for exposing the outer surfaces of the wheel modules.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a modular driving apparatus and, morespecifically, to a modular driving apparatus capable of being driven incombination with an external device or being driven independently.

Background Art

Recently, an electric vehicle industry has been greatly grown in amobility market.

Since an electric vehicle is designed to have a structure different fromthe internal combustion engine, many companies tend to develop a basicplatform in the form of a skateboard.

The electric vehicle has a high possibility of being optimized forvarious purposes since lowering the entry barriers in the vehicle designand increasing the degree of freedom in construction of a vehicleinterior space.

The conventional electric vehicle has an advantage in that a drivingsystem and an interior space of the electric vehicle can be combinedwith each other in various ways since the interior space and the drivingsystem can be separated from each other due to various attempts ofenterprises. However, it is not easy to adjust the size of the drivingsystem according to various internal spaces of electric vehicles.

Therefore, there is a need for the development of a driving systemapplicable to various types and sizes of internal spaces.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve theabove-mentioned problems occurring in the prior arts, and it is anobject of the present invention to provide a modular driving apparatuswhich is capable of being easily combined with and separated from a ridemodule, namely, a pod, according to various sizes.

The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is notlimited to the technical problem as mentioned above, and anothertechnical problem, which is not mentioned, could be clearly understoodby those having ordinary skill in the art to which the present inventionpertains based on the description below.

To accomplish the above object, according to the present invention,there is provided a modular driving apparatus which is driven incombination with at least one ride module or is driven independently bybeing combined with or separated from the ride module, the modulardriving apparatus including: a main body including a coupling space inwhich the ride module is mounted, and wheel modules which surrounds bothsides of the ride module mounted in the coupling space and operates torun together with the mounted ride module or operates to runautonomously; and coupling guide blades which are respectively fastenedto both sides of the main body and respectively include wheel modulecoupling holes for exposing the outer surfaces of the wheel modules.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the coupling guide bladefurther includes a combination determining sensor which determinescombinability with the ride module by sensing the position of thedriving apparatus with respect to the ride module while the ride moduleis mounted in the coupling space.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the combination determiningsensor is a lidar sensor.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the combination determiningsensor determines combinability with the ride module by sensing whethera portion of the coupling guide blade is positioned at a predeterminedreference position with respect to the ride module.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the modular driving apparatusis combined with the ride module or another modular driving apparatus ofthe outside, or is simultaneously combined with the ride module andanother modular driving apparatus of the outside.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the main body furtherincludes: a first coupling unit formed on a first side, which is an areadifferent from both sides in which the wheel modules are respectivelylocated, and inserted into another modular driving apparatus of theoutside so as to be combined with the another modular driving apparatusof the outside; and a second coupling unit formed on a second side,which is an area different from both sides in which the wheel modulesare respectively located, and into which a coupling unit of anothermodular driving apparatus of the outside is inserted so that the mainbody is combined with the another modular driving apparatus of theoutside.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the main body furtherincludes a connector module formed on the upper surface providing thecoupling space in which the ride module is mounted for combination withthe ride module.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the wheel module is formed ofan in-wheel motor type including at least one of a driving motor, abrake device, and a shock-absorbing device therein.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the modular drivingapparatus is capable of being easily combined with and separated from aride module, namely, a pod, according to various sizes.

The effect of the present invention is not limited to the above effects,and it is to be understood that the effects of the present inventioninclude all effects that are inferred from the features of the inventionas set forth in the description or the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the presentinvention will be apparent from the following detailed description ofthe preferred embodiments of the invention in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a view illustrating a modular driving apparatus according toan embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2A is a front view and FIG. 2B is a rear view of the modulardriving apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a view illustrating a combination of a plurality of modulardriving apparatuses according to the embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIGS. 4A-4D are views illustrating an operational change for replacing atread of a non-pneumatic type in-wheel module according to theembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a view illustrating a process of coupling a coupling guideblade and an external ride module with each other according to theembodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 6A-6B are views illustrating a state in which a modular drivingapparatus and various types of ride modules are coupled with each otheraccording to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 7A-7C are diagrams illustrating an effect of the modular drivingapparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 8A-8B are diagrams illustrating another effect of the modulardriving apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail withreference to the accompanying drawings. However, embodiments of thepresent invention may be made in several different forms and are notlimited to the embodiments described herein. In addition, partsirrelevant to description are omitted in the drawings in order toclearly explain embodiments of the present invention. Similar parts aredenoted by similar reference numerals throughout this specification.

Throughout this specification, when a part is referred to as being“connected” to another part, this includes “direct connection” and“indirect connection” via an intervening part. Also, when a certain part“includes” a certain component, other components are not excluded unlessexplicitly described otherwise, and other components may in fact beincluded.

It will be further understood that the words or terms used in thepresent invention are used to describe specific embodiments of thepresent invention and there is no intent to limit the present invention.The singular form of the components may be understood into the pluralform unless otherwise specifically stated in the context. It should bealso understood that the terms of ‘include’ or ‘have’ in thespecification are used to mean that there are characteristics, numbers,steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations of the steps,operations, components and parts described in the specification andthere is no intent to exclude existence or possibility of othercharacteristics, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, orcombinations of the steps, operations, components and parts.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the invention will be described in detailwith reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a view illustrating a modular driving apparatus according toan embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2A is a front view and FIG. 2B is a rear view of the modulardriving apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, the modular driving apparatus 10 according to theembodiment of the present invention includes a main body 100, andcoupling guide blades 200.

The modular driving apparatus 10 according to the embodiment of thepresent invention is a device capable of being driven in combinationwith a ride module 300 having an interior space or being drivenindependently. The modular driving apparatus 10 can be combined withvarious ride modules of different types according to use purposes, andcan be driven alone without being combined with the ride module.

Referring to FIG. 1, the main body 100 according to an embodiment of thepresent invention includes a main body frame 110, wheel modules 130, aconnector module 150, a first coupling unit 170, and a second couplingunit 190.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the main body 100 may be formed in a “⊏” shapeso as to surround three surfaces of a portion of the ride module 300 soas to provide a coupling space in which the ride module 300 can bemounted.

The main body 100 surrounds both sides and one surface of the ridemodule 300 mounted in the coupling space, and the wheel modules 130 ofthe main body 100 can run with the ride module 300 mounted in thecoupling space. In this instance, as described above, the wheel modules130 can be driven even when the ride module 300 is not mounted in thecoupling space.

As described above, the main body frame 110 according to the presentembodiment can be formed in a “⊏” shape to provide the coupling space inwhich the ride module 300 can be mounted, and the upper parts of bothsides can be formed to protrude inwards.

The wheel modules 130 can be formed on both sides of the main body frame110. The wheel modules 130 of the present invention may be formedintegrally with the main body frame 110, and in another embodiment, thewheel modules 130 may be detachably attached to the main body frame 110.

The coupling guide blades 200 of the present invention are attached tothe outer surfaces of both sides of the main body frame 110.Accordingly, the coupling guide blades 200 should correspond to theshape of both sides of the main body frame 110.

In addition, the connector module 150 according to the presentembodiment can be formed on the upper surface which provides thecoupling space for mounting the ride module 300. More specifically, asillustrated in FIG. 1, the connector module 150 according to anembodiment of the present invention may be formed on the upper surfacewhich meets the lower portion of the ride module 300.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the connectormodule 150 is a module connected to a connector terminal (not shown)formed at the lower portion of the ride module 300. The connector module150 can be connected to the connector terminal (of the ride module 300to send and receive an operation signal and a control signal to and fromthe ride module 300, thereby performing an operation corresponding tothe operation of any one component.

FIG. 2A is a front view of the modular drive device 10, and FIG. 2B is arear view of the modular drive device 10.

Referring to FIG. 2B, a first coupling unit 170 may be formed on therear surface of the main body frame 110, and a second coupling unit 190may be formed on the front surface of the main body frame 110.

The first coupling unit 170 is formed on a first side which is differentfrom both sides of the main body 100 in which the wheel module 130 islocated, and is configured to be combined with another modular drivingapparatus of the outside.

In more detail, the first coupling unit 170 may be made in the form of aplate inserted into a second coupling unit of another modular drivingapparatus of the outside. Alternatively, the first coupling unit 170 isusually in the main body frame 110 as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, butwhen being combined with another modular driving apparatus of theoutside, may be inserted into a second coupling unit of the anothermodular driving apparatus from the main body frame 110.

Here, the first side may refer to one side on which the first couplingunit 170 is formed as illustrated in FIG. 2B which is the rear view ofthe main body 100.

The second coupling unit 190 is formed on the second side of the mainbody 100, which is a region different from the both sides on which thewheel modules 130 are located, and is configured to be combined withanother modular driving apparatus of the outside.

The second coupling part 190 may be formed as a hole through which afastening unit of another modular driving apparatus of the outside canbe inserted, wherein the fastening unit may be a unit such as the firstcoupling unit 170.

In addition, the second side refers to the other side on which thesecond coupling part 190 is formed as illustrated in FIG. 2A which isthe front view of the main body 100.

The first coupling unit 170 and the second coupling unit 190 may bemeans for coupling a plurality of modular driving apparatuses with eachother, but may also serve as locking means to be fixed in a coupledstate.

FIG. 3 is a view illustrating a combination of the plurality of modulardriving apparatuses through the first coupling unit 170 and the secondcoupling unit 190 of each modular driving apparatus as described above.

Moreover, the wheel module 130 according to an embodiment of the presentinvention can be formed of an in-wheel motor type which includes atleast one of a driving motor, a brake device, and a shock-absorbingdevice. For example, the wheel module 130 of the present invention canbe formed as a non-pneumatic tire.

FIGS. 4A-4D are views illustrating an operational change for replacing atread of a non-pneumatic type in-wheel module according to an embodimentof the present invention.

The wheel module 300 as illustrated in FIG. 4 according to an embodimentof the present invention includes a body 131, a wheel 133, a center cap135, a tread 137, and a spoke 139.

FIG. 4A illustrates an initial state of the non-pneumatic tire accordingto the present invention, FIG. 4B illustrates a non-pneumatic tire in aninitial state without a tread 137, FIG. 4C illustrates a non-pneumatictire according to a state where the center cap 135 is completelypressed, and FIG. 4D illustrates a state where the spoke 139 isseparated in the state where the center cap 135 is completely pressed.

The wheel module 130 of the present invention does not requireelectrical power to move the plurality of wheels 133, and can be drivenby an external physical force. However, in order to prevent opening andclosing during driving, a spring (not shown) located inside the centercap 135 pushes the center cap 135 outwards and presses the center cap135 only when it is necessary to replace the tread 137.

The wheel module 130 of the present invention as described above can beformed to slide only on the side without being separated in thetraveling direction while the vehicle runs, and can allow disassembly ofthe tread 137. In more detail, a wheel 133 extending from the center cap135 during normal operation prevents separation of the tread 137 bysurrounding the side surface of the tread 137, and when the center cap135 is pressed for replacement, all the wheels 133 are moved inward toform a space in which the tread 137 can be separated so that anon-pneumatic tire can be formed in such a way as to separate the tread137 from the body 131.

The wheel module 130 of the present invention is eco-friendly and is asustainable tire since only the tread 137 can be replaced withoutreplacing the entire wheel module 130. Since the spoke structure acts asan air layer of an existing tire and does not require a side wheel ofthe existing tire, and thus the separated tread can be re-processed andcan be recycled effectively, and raw materials required for processingcan be significantly reduced. Furthermore, since the wheel module 130according to the present invention is not pneumatic, the wheel module130 does not require a separate air pressure measuring sensor. On theother hand, if a sensor for measuring temperature, acceleration, andtread depth is provided, the sensor can be attached to a portiongrounded to the tread inside the spoke, and can improve the accuracy ofa measurement data value by being positioned close to the road surface,and is easy to maintain and repair since being attached to the inside ofthe spoke structure.

Refer again to FIG. 1.

Each of the coupling guide blades 200 according to an embodiment of thepresent invention includes a coupling guide blade frame 210, a wheelmodule coupling hole 230, and a combination determining sensor 250.

The coupling guide blade frames 210 are formed in a shape matching theshape of both sides of the main body frame 110 to be attached to theouter surfaces of both sides of the main body frame 110.

According to this embodiment of the present invention, since thecoupling guide blade frames 210 are respectively mounted on both sidesof the main body frame 110, a plurality of coupling guide blade frames210 can be provided.

Additionally, a wheel module coupling hole 230 may be formed in a regionof the coupling guide blade frame 210 such that the outer surface of thewheel module 130 is exposed, as illustrated in FIG. 1.

While being mounted in the coupling space formed by the main body 100,the combination determining sensor 250 senses the position of thedriving apparatus 10 with respect to the ride module 300 and determinescombinability with the ride module 300 on the basis of the positioninformation of the sensed driving apparatus 10.

For instance, the combination determination sensor 250 can determinecombinability with the ride module 300 by sensing whether a portion ofthe coupling guide blade 200 is positioned at a predetermined referenceposition with respect to the ride module 300.

For example, the combination determination sensor 250 of the presentinvention may be a lidar sensor.

FIG. 5 is a view illustrating a process in which a coupling guide bladeand an external ride module are coupled with each other according to anembodiment of the present invention.

For example, as illustrated in FIG. 5, the ride module 300 compatiblewith the modular driving apparatus 10 of the present invention may havean area in which a part (A) of the coupling guide blade 200 can bedisposed.

The coupling determining sensor 250 scans the surroundings during acombination with the ride module 300 and grasps the shape of the area ofthe ride module 300 already known, and then detects whether the currentposition corresponds to the reference position around the area or islocated in a straight line with respect to the ride module 300.

FIGS. 6A-6B are views illustrating a state in which a modular drivingapparatus and various types of ride modules are coupled with each otheraccording to the embodiment of the present invention.

The modular drive apparatus 10 according to an embodiment of the presentinvention can be combined with a ride module 300 as illustrated in FIG.6A, or can be combined with another modular driving apparatus 10 of theoutside, as illustrated in FIG. 6B.

As illustrated in FIG. 6B, the modular driving apparatus 10 of thepresent invention may be simultaneously combined with the ride module300 and another modular driving apparatus 10 of the outside.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the modulardriving apparatus 10 can share a self-battery thereof and a battery ofthe ride module 300.

FIGS. 7A-7C are diagrams illustrating an effect of the modular drivingapparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Unlike a skate board type driving apparatus in which the wheel base isfixed, the modular driving apparatus 10 according to the presentinvention can be easily combined and separated according to the scale ofthe ride module (pod), thereby configuring mobility in 2×2, 4×4, orother combinations. Therefore, as illustrated in FIGS. 7A-7C, the ridemodule 300 can be expanded in size and reduced in restriction.

FIGS. 8A-8B are diagrams illustrating another effect of the modulardriving apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

The modular driving apparatus 10 according to the embodiment of thepresent invention can convert an unavailing space into an availablespace by separately and individually operating a space (ride module) anda driving system (modular driving apparatus), and in the same sense, canminimize the total amount of the driving system operated bysystematizing the idle modular driving apparatus, which is not usedduring parking time, as a driving service.

In addition, since the tread of the modular driving apparatus 10 can beeasily replaced in a replacement facility, a tire suitable for apredetermined driving environment can be automatically replaced based ondata collected from the modular driving apparatus 10 and the wheelmodule (tire) without a user's involvement, and it is not necessary fora user to directly check a wear condition of a tire to replace the tiresince the modular driving apparatus 10 is continuously managed by theinfrastructure environment.

The above description is only exemplary, and it will be understood bythose skilled in the art that the invention may be embodied in otherconcrete forms without changing the technological scope and essentialfeatures. Therefore, the above-described embodiments should beconsidered only as examples in all aspects and not for purposes oflimitation. For example, each component described as a single type maybe realized in a distributed manner, and similarly, components that aredescribed as being distributed may be realized in a coupled manner.

The scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims,and encompasses all modifications or alterations derived from meanings,the scope and equivalents of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A modular driving apparatus which is driven incombination with at least one ride module or is driven independently bybeing combined with or separated from the ride module, the modulardriving apparatus comprising: a main body including a coupling space inwhich the ride module is mounted, and wheel modules which surrounds bothsides of the ride module mounted in the coupling space and operates torun together with the mounted ride module or operates to runautonomously; and coupling guide blades which are respectively fastenedto both sides of the main body and respectively include wheel modulecoupling holes for exposing the outer surfaces of the wheel modules. 2.The modular driving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the couplingguide blade further includes a combination determining sensor whichdetermines combinability with the ride module by sensing the position ofthe driving apparatus with respect to the ride module while the ridemodule is mounted in the coupling space.
 3. The modular drivingapparatus according to claim 2, wherein the combination determiningsensor is a lidar sensor.
 4. The modular driving apparatus according toclaim 2, wherein the combination determining sensor determinescombinability with the ride module by sensing whether a portion of thecoupling guide blade is positioned at a predetermined reference positionwith respect to the ride module.
 5. The modular driving apparatusaccording to claim 1, wherein the modular driving apparatus is combinedwith the ride module or another modular driving apparatus of theoutside, or is simultaneously combined with the ride module and anothermodular driving apparatus of the outside.
 6. The modular drivingapparatus according to claim 5, wherein the main body further includes:a first coupling unit formed on a first side, which is an area differentfrom both sides in which the wheel modules are respectively located, andinserted into another modular driving apparatus of the outside so as tobe combined with the another modular driving apparatus of the outside;and a second coupling unit formed on a second side, which is an areadifferent from both sides in which the wheel modules are respectivelylocated, and into which a coupling unit of another modular drivingapparatus of the outside is inserted so that the main body is combinedwith the another modular driving apparatus of the outside.
 7. Themodular driving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the main bodyfurther includes a connector module formed on the upper surfaceproviding the coupling space in which the ride module is mounted forcombination with the ride module.
 8. The modular driving apparatus ofclaim 1, wherein the wheel module is formed of an in-wheel motor typeincluding at least one of a driving motor, a brake device, and ashock-absorbing device therein.